US Women’s National Team calls foul on US Soccer, files complaint with EEOC alleging unequal payment

The relationship between the US Women’s National Team and soccer’s national governing body has soured since last July, when the team celebrated its victory over Japan in Vancouver and brought home an unprecedented third FIFA Women’s World Cup championship. (Elaine Thompson/AP)

The defending World Cup champion U.S. women's soccer team took a legal kick Thursday at a big-bucks pay disparity with their American men's team counterparts.

Five members of the title-winning squad, in a federal discrimination complaint, charged they were paid millions of dollars less than their mediocre male counterparts despite vastly superior play.

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"The numbers speak for themselves," said women's national team goalie Hope Solo. "We are the best in the world, have three World Cups, four Olympic Championships, and the (men) get paid more to show up."

The most dramatic difference came in the World Cup, where the women — despite winning their third title in 2015 — received $2 million in compensation.

The men, after posting a mark of 1-2-1 one year earlier in the World Cup, earned more than four times the women, collecting $9 million.

"I think that we've proven our worth over the years," said New Jersey native Carli Lloyd, the team's all-time leading goal scorer. "Just coming off of a World Cup win, the pay disparity between the men and women is just too large. And we want to continue to fight."

U.S. women's soccer team celebrates World Cup win

The federal civil rights complaint came a day after the Daily News chronicled in a special online report a list of player grievances that have loomed over the sport over the past year.

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Rather than earning equal compensation for their remarkable success on the world stage, the women were actually punished for their success, according to the wage discrimination complaint against the U.S. Soccer Federation.

"The success of the (team) has meant and continues to mean that we spend more time in training camp, play far more games, travel more, and participate in more media sessions ... than men's national team players," the players said in court papers.

The complaint was signed by Solo, Lloyd and teammates Alex Morgan, Becky Sauerbrunn and Megan Rapinoe.

"Five players signed the complaint, but the decision to file was whole-heartedly supported by the entire team #equalplayequalpay #thegals," tweeted Sauerbrunn, 30, a member of the national team since January 2008.

Forward Alex Morgan and the other members of the Women’s National Team have resolved to fight for equality in their sport. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The red, white and blue women — unlike the men's squad — remain in the black when it comes to finances. Court documents project that for the fiscal year running from March 31 2016, through April 1, 2017, the women will turn a net profit of $5 million while the men lose about $1 million.

U.S. Soccer issued a four-paragraph response declaring its support of women's soccer was "unwavering" and touting a new, fairer financial deal with the team in the near future.

"We are committed to and engaged in negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement that addresses compensation with the Women's National Soccer Team Player Association," the statement said.

The deal should take effect when the current CBA expires at the end of this year, the statement said.